


What's in a name?

by LillaJoba



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen, post season 12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-16
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2019-01-18 10:51:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12386607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LillaJoba/pseuds/LillaJoba
Summary: Cas' name, shortened or full, has been spoken so much by the brothers, in so many ways. Fitting that it should be the last thinight spoken to him.





	What's in a name?

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a little while ago, after the season 12 finale. It's less of a fic and more an exploration of the characters' feelings and the meaning and emotion associated with somebody's name. Hope you like it.

“Castiel?” Asked the older of the remaining Winchesters, after hearing for the first time the name of the creature who had rescued him, burning a near perfect hand print on his arm in the process. Of course, that was before he knew how many more times the angel, who’s species was at that point unknown by the brothers, would save his and Sam’s lives, in all meanings.

“Cas said that if I don’t stop you, he will.” Dean says, for the first time using the nickname that will soon become second nature to the hunter when referring to his future friend. But for now, using it just in anger at his brother.

“Cas, stop, please.” Sam asks, not quite begging, but as close as he gets, trying to avoid being made unconcious on the barnyard floor. And he, of course, does it to try and save someone he barely knows. The fallen angel, without grace, whose fall Castiel still thinks is a crime, although that won’t last for long.

“Learned that from my friend Cas, you son of a bitch” Dean exclaims, for the first time calling him his friend, still angry at him for being stupid enough to get involved with the Winchesters, the literal starters of the apocalypse. Not realising he’s alive, or that all three of them blame themselves, and will do so for many things, many years to come.

“Castiel!” Sam remarks in shock as the weakened angel appears behind him, visible in the mirror, having once again risked his life for theirs. Rushing over to steady him, having now formed more of a connection with him.

“I pray to Castiel to get his feathery as down here.” Dean still can’t seem to do a serious prayer at this point, but he still does it when necessary. He will never truly feel comfortable doing so, but both he and Sam still pray to their angelic friend.

“Castiel. I’m back. So, if you got a minute.” Sam prays to the angel, his soul restored. Despite knowing him for quite a while, Sam still seems more comfortable using his full name, and in no way comfortable accepting a hug from him. But he still prays to him. Still wants to talk to him.

“Cas…” Sam calls out, looking at his friend, this time actually begging, but more for Cas to keep being the person they know, rather than to spare them. But the souls inside him have changed him. Weirdly, outside of the power, having several souls in him did similar to Cas, as having non did to Sam.

“Hey Castiel” Sam smiles, standing next to his brother as he sees his friend properly for the first time in months, this time accepting the hug being offered. Despite everything Cas has done, Sam is always full of forgiveness, almost as much as Cas tends to be filled with remorse and, eventually, Dean will forgive him too.

“Cas!” Dean yells to the figure, washing his face in the water, running over to him after searching the whole place for the angel. While often trying to be closed to emotion as anything he’d feel would usually be pain, he has always been different when it came to his family, including the fallen warrior of heaven. He hugged him, just happy to find him again.

“I know you can hear me. Cas…we’re family. We need you. I need you.” Dean pleads with the brainwashed seraph but, much like Sam, more for him to not change, as he had once already told him, than for his own life. Even with the power of heaven controlling his mind, those words are enough to break the connection. He will never want to harm the Winchesters.

“Cas!” Dean is shaking his best friend, trying to get him to wake up, to open his eyes. Voice breaking as he screams his name, having just seen him be stabbed. He doesn’t know what to do, until his injuries are healed. Ignoring his brother passed out on the floor, he turns around. Sam will be fine. As fine as he can be anyway. He’s just unconscious. But what about Cas? Dean breaths a massive sigh of relief, as his eyes flutter open, his hand on Castiel’s knee, making sure he is in fact alive and breathing. Human, but breathing.

“It’s all right, Cas. You, uh… You were right. You were right about everything.” They may have failed to track Gadreel, but Sam doesn’t blame him. Among all the mistakes he’s made, Sam has no trouble admitting this wasn’t one and now not only accepts a hug from him, but initiates it. Even teaching him how to properly.

“Cas…Dean’s a demon.” Of course he’s the person Sam turns to. There aren’t many people he could call, but Cas has now become a constant in his life. Someone he can trust.

“Where the hell are you, Cas?” Dean answers the phone, trapped in the hospital, already worried about what troubles they will have to face again. But, despite being in trouble, Cas didn’t call to ask for his help. He knows they have other things on their minds. He just calls to let them know what happened.

“Cas?” Dean calls out to Lucifer and The Darkness, hoping to get through to the trapped angel. They need a win. They need Cas. Not because he’s strong or powerful, but because he’s loved. Family, connected not by blood, but by choice.

“You’re our brother, Cas. I want you to know that.” Of course this conversation happens inside the other constant element of Dean’s life. His baby. They may lie for their job, constantly, but this isn’t a lie. He is family. They love him.

“You’re not weak, Cas. You know that, Right?” Dean tells the fallen angel. He’s still worried about previous events, but he will never let his friend suffer and feel useless if he can help it. And neither will Sam. No matter what, they have to make sure Cas knows he’s important.

“We are fighting. We’re fighting for you, Cas.” Sam says, so sincerely it’s kind of strange. The only other time Cas has said “I love you” was when he was…well, crazy. But it was true. It wasn’t even a confession, just a fact. He loved them, and they knew it. And no matter how much he told them to, they were not going to leave him behind. Life slowly fading from him, they were not going to leave until they found a way to fix it.

“Cas.” Sam sighed, feeling relieved. Though it wouldn’t last. For a fleeting second, he felt happy, calm, looking at their best friend. The boy with the demon blood, who befriended a fallen angel of the lord. But years of experience should have taught them more. No matter how beautiful the night was, or the lakeside they were on, their lives never reflected that. And they were left staring at the body at their feet. His grace wasn’t stolen, or slowly diminishing this time. It was just…gone. He was gone.

and “Cas.” The word Dean Winchester will say when he regains the capability to talk. Or the ability to breath. He isn’t sure which, at that moment. He just can’t accept it. Can’t accept that they couldn’t save the one who had saved them so much. Not just keeping them alive, but giving them someone to talk to. Someone to turn to, even when they were angry with each other.

Neither of them could have ever predicted how much the broken winged, rogue angel would effect their lives. How they would love him, care for him, so much more than he would himself. But now, it was like there was a hole. After all, two is just a duo. You need at least three for a team. Three for Team Free Will.

His name was spoken so many time, by the hunters who saved the world so many times. In anger, in love, relief, curiosity, hurt, but never in hate. It’s fitting that those would be the last words they spoke to him.  



End file.
